Another Breath of Fresh Air
by sheikgoddess
Summary: Nightworld. Three part. Hannah wants something but it's too dangerous for Thierry to give her. He gives in and tragedy strikes, now she's the only one who can save him. How can Kestrel help? Rated M for dark themes
1. Eternal Tragedy

Sheikgoddess: This was inspired after a re-read of Soulmate. A bit tragic – enjoy! Flames will be used to cook my chicken. As far as I know this is a one shot. Might do a sequel if someone asks.

Disclaimer: Don't own, wish I were that clever…

**_Another Breath of Fresh Air_**

They'd found the last Wild Power – they'd found them all. And they were all safe…for now. Circle Daybreak had achieved its purpose. All they could do now was wait until the millennium. The time of darkness that was coming.

There were still a couple of months before the millennium. The situation had turned for the better in Daybreak's favour. They were winning but it wasn't over yet. The atmosphere within the confines of the Night World was still tense. It was good Thierry Descouedres had his soulmate Hannah Snow to distract him. Or he might have gone crazy under the impending pressure.

Though the memories still hurt, he was creating new ones with his one and only.

* * *

Hannah had noticed lately, the change in Thierry's eyes. There was something almost unrecognisable in them – happiness. Though she saw the change in his mood, she still worried about him. How was he coping being the leader of Circle Daybreak – the world's last hope? He used to share the burden with Grandma Harman but she had heard from the others that she had been murdered some months before.

Lately Hannah had been confined to the mansion, where nothing interesting happened. Thierry assured her it was for her own safety. But what she wouldn't do for a breath of fresh air…no that was ridiculous. She had learned that fresh air was bad for her health. But she longed to get out. She needed to get out – the mansion was big but it was all the same for her now. Hannah decided to ask Thierry to take her somewhere, anywhere – somewhere different to where she had spent the last few months, worrying herself frantic and doing all she could for Circle Daybreak.

Surely she deserved a short stretch outside? Making a decision, Hannah turned around and went in the opposite direction to the room she and Thierry shared.

She found him there, dozing. Thierry's white blond was astray and in angles. She loved looking at him this way. He looked so angelic. Hannah crept over to the bed and sat on it softly beside him. She whispered his name.

'Thierry'

* * *

Like any vampire, Thierry's eyes immediately snapped open. At first they were harsh at being awoken but they quickly softened when he saw whom he was looking up at. He simply smiled.

'_What is it Hannah_?'

She had that 'Old Soul' look again. Hannah wanted something but it must have been something difficult for she was biting her lip slightly and there was hesitation in her voice.

'I…want to go outside…with you'

_Oh_, that was what she wanted. He wanted the one thing he couldn't give her for the next six months or so…freedom. He knew he had been unfair confining her to the mansion. It was no longer safe to be out and about. She couldn't even go to College. Thierry knew how much she hated. But she put up with it…for him. For everyone.

Thierry straightened up and looked regretfully into Hannah's eyes.

'You know we can't do that Hannah' Thierry said, voice full of sorrow. 'We're playing into their hands – you are far too important to lose…again.'

Hannah simply looked at him.

'Now _you're_ playing into _their_ hands. We're hiding. And I'm not that important. You said to Maya that I would live on forever in your heart.'

'And it's true' he said taking his hand in hers. 'I am always thinking about you but I love you – you can't expect me to willingly put you in danger'

Hannah's eyes filled at Thierry's words. She nodded and blinked several times.

There was a knock on the door. Thierry and Hannah both looked up.

'Come in' Thierry commanded.

Lupe, a werewolf with amber eyes walked into the room.

'Sorry to interrupt you sir, but we've received contact from the Night World Council. Or at least some of them - the werewolves want to make a deal. I think they can see they're on the losing side now that we've got the Wild Powers.'

Thierry was startled. The 'wolves had only just joined the Council. The Night World vampires had no choice. They had lost the majority of the shape shifters after they made an alliance with the Witch Child. They had to turn to the 'wolves and start treating them with respect. Why would they want to change now after having just been granted the power and equality they had been denied for centuries?

Reading his mind, Hannah wondered the same thing.

'Maybe they've realised…'

Thierry smirked slightly and faced Hannah.

'They're not that smart'

'Hey I'm right here sir!' Lupe hissed.

'Sorry Lupe, nothing against your kind but you know what your friends can be like'

'They're not my friends sir, she said, 'and you know it'

Thierry's smile changed to one of mocking. 'I was only teasing you Lupe – I'll contact them straight away'

* * *

That was what Thierry Descouedres did. The 'wolves wanted out. It turned out there was a vampire plot to take out their useless baggage. The werewolves. The 'wolves wanted protection. They wanted it badly enough to want to join Circle Daybreak and to co-operate.

A month or so later, the 'wolves were on the side of Circle Daybreak.

Thierry felt better than he had in months. Things were really working out. It was going to be harder for the vampires to win with almost no werewolves on their side. His mood was infectious – it spread through out those in the mansion. Even Hannah was happier.

He went to sleep with Hannah beside him. She smelled beautiful. He softly touched her hair.

_Oh Hannah_ he thought softly _Tomorrow morning I'm going to take you outside. I promise._

Hannah seemed to have heard him. A soft smile could be seen on her lips.

Tomorrow morning they awoke before the rest of the mansion. They dressed, knowing the silent promise between them. Knowing that Thierry always kept his promises.

They were quite going down the stairs and made it to the mansion entrance. Thierry opened the doors. The sun was already shining dully through them. The look on Hannah's face was well worth the risk. Her wise smile was worth more to him than life itself. They walked outside, through the perfectly manicured grounds and through the black-rosed gates. He was feeling easy and relaxed. It was good to be outside. They walked through the street hand in hand.

They both walked through the park. It was a beautiful thing. Despite living in the area for months, Hannah had never been to it. It was full of old oaks and pines. It smelled so fresh. She looked into Thierry's aged eyes.

And that was when it happened. It was too quick to react to. Even for someone not quite human. For it had been too unexpected. A dark figure landed on top of Thierry, breaking their embrace. There was a stake. It had been stabbed through Thierry's heart. He made a choking noise of disbelief.

She turned in time to see the werewolf sprinting away – his work done. They'd been duped. And they'd been watched. The 'wolves had been waiting for their chance. They probably didn't think it would have been this soon though. Their false sense of security they had begun to instil on Daybreak.

Hannah went numb. And then, without realising it – tears spurted like blood from her eyes. All she could feel was raw anguish. She felt like she was being torn in half. There was blood everywhere. On her hands and leaking out of Thierry's chest.

'THIERRY!'

She caught him as he fell toward her and she fell to the ground with him. She did the only thing she could think of. She pulled the stake from his chest and sobbed incoherently.

'…Talk to me…' she whimpered.

Hannah a mental voice sounded in her head. 

It was Thierry, she couldn't mistaken it

_Thierry…_

Don't cry for me Hannah. I've lived for thousands of years…it's time to sleep. Don't you dare come after me – you hear me?

'But we'll never…be together again…' Hannah was choking on her own voice and tears as she said it, not believing her own words.

I'll always be in your heart. You'll always be in mine. We'll be together…forever…I love you Hannah – I'll always love you…

Thierry's mental voice was growing weaker and weaker…

'I love you Thierry – don't leave me!'

I'll be with you always 

The age in Thierry's eyes faded and they were left with emptiness.

And then he was gone. Hannah's soulmate, the leader of Circle Daybreak, was gone. The darkness was coming and Daybreak had no one to lead it to victory.

But that didn't matter right now. What mattered most was that Hannah Snow was alone in the world. Her soulmate – the one that mattered most was not going to come back in a hundred or so years like she would. He was gone forever…Hannah let out a scream of pain and rage and cradled Thierry in her arms and wept bitterly, her eyes exploding with wetness.

And she had only wanted to go outside…a whim so simple and stupid had cost her the only person who knew her. And loved her…

* * *

Sheikgoddess: Never written really sad stuff before. Hope you liked it. Now this story can be continued – but only if you want it to! Let me know in your review and this story might get a happy ending.

So review – every time you don't review, Hannah sheds another tear!


	2. Change of Blood, Change of Mind

I'm here with the sequel, as promised to the lovely reviewer's who have also put me on story alert – that's sweet as. Chapter dedication goes to **GivenPeace13** and **The Gryffindoor Drummer** for both making me write this, I enjoyed it immensely. Please feel free to leave a nice juicy review everyone – I love feedback.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned the Night World Series, Strange Fate would have been released by now. Yes…I'm still pretty sore about it not being released when they said it would.

**_Chapter Two – Change of Blood, Change of Mind_**

_What is wrong with you?_ A voice sounded in Hannah's mind. _Are you going to le this be the end?_ It was Hana of the three rivers.

_Give him your blood…it could change him_. No it won't, Hannah answered back – there's no way a vampire can be turned…he had lost so much blood…

_How do you know? Have you ever tried it?_ The crystal voice argued.

She couldn't answer, not truthfully anyway. She did what Hana of the three rivers asked. She reached into Thierry's pocket and pulled out the silver dagger he kept for protection against werewolves. Tears still streaming, she braced herself for the pain she was going to feel. She no longer cared anymore, for it was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling right now.

Hannah sliced open her wrist deeply for a fast, constant blood flow. He reached for Thierry's face and parted his lips; she let the blood flow steadily into his mouth and at the same time a weakness within herself. But it didn't matter if she died, because she would come back. It only mattered that Thierry lived.

As she let the blood flow, she gently pulled out the stake. As time passed, Hannah could no longer grasp how much blood she had given. She was getting weaker and weaker…finally she collapsed with weakness on to Thierry's chest and light faded from her mind. Her fading thought was a hope that she had given enough.

* * *

When Thierry Descouedres faded back to consciousness he felt different. There was no way to explain it. He drowsily opened his eyes only to find he couldn't get up. There was a weight on him. He struggled weakly to life it off and realized it was Hannah. His blood went cold because her form was lifeless. He struggled again and was able to get out from under her. She was dead white and without knowing how – he knew she wouldn't open her eyes.

Grief overwhelmed him but he knew it would pass somewhat. Hannah would come back, whether it be in fifty or even one hundred years he would have to wait. The thought didn't stop the sadness or the tears that spilled. So many questions entered his head. How had it happened? She was barely eighteen. Forcing himself, Thierry checked over Hannah but he couldn't sense straight away what had drained her life. His heart cracked in two when he found her wrist

His senses were dull, inferior to what they had been. He was no longer aware of his surroundings and the predatory instinct was gone. The hunger that was at the back of any vampire's mind has long vanished.

_It couldn't be_, he thought. It wasn't physically, humanly, Night Worldy possible. He _couldn't_ be a human. But he hadn't felt this way in thousands of years. Weak, senses dulled and hunger – but not for blood, for food and water. But all that stuff didn't matter because without Hannah he was nothing anyway. He was only a shell of his former self.

He cried in pain, in fear over Hannah's form because though Hannah was an Old Soul, Thierry Descouedres was well aware that he wasn't.

She had died again to change him over. He didn't think it possible; vampire blood was so much more powerful. He had drained people before of every drop of their blood. He remembered vividly, the look of pain in people's eyes. Hana's village. Thierry screwed his face in frustration, trying to comprehend how it had happened. Then it came to him; if it wasn't his blood it must have been Hannah's. Perhaps the blood of an Old Soul had more power than he or anyone else might have thought. She could will her blood to be a powerful healing agent, for he wasn't lamia. Maybe all the Old Souls could do it and the reason why it hadn't worked when Maya had tried draining her? Hannah hadn't willed it to do so. The Old Powers were rising he knew but no one could know it meant new powers for Old Souls too for they were considered humans.

But with the millennium dawning, anything was possible.

Thierry's mind reeled back however, to the pain he was trying to block. That Hannah was dead came back in haunting floods because as a human, he would never live to see her again…unless…

To his human self he was still nineteen. It was like the millenniums gone by had not happened to his body. There was still time, still a chance to change back. If only his body would survive through the change. He was older, it was true but if his body didn't make it, at least he'd tried. It wasn't worth living a life, even a human life without Hannah by his side. There was still time. He would have to find a vampire to change him. The only question was who? He needed someone with potent vampire blood. Frankly, he needed a Redfern.

* * *

Jade, Kestrel and Rowan had finally been convinced to join Circle Daybreak. Jade being the easiest to convince because Mark had joined after refusing to let Mary-Lynette join alone, even if she had Ash with her. It was really only Kestrel who had been unwilling to leave the farm; she would have been happy to stay and hunt peacefully on her own. At the moment she was grumpily helping Rowan and Jade unpack their clothing. If looks could kill though, the clothing would have been set alight with her angry yellow glare.

The door randomly flew open and none other than Thierry Descouedres stumbled through the door. It shocked the three Redfern girls to the core. They had never seen a vampire so tired and out of control and sync with their body. In fact, no vampire would lose control like this, not even an inch from death. There was another thing – he didn't smell Night World, he smelt '

'Lord Thierry!' Rowan gasped. 'You smell…human!'

Thierry tried and failed to recompose himself. 'I know' he said breathing deeply, 'I _am _human'.

'But that's impossible!' Jade squealed with a snort. 'Vampires don't become human'-

'They can' Thierry cut across her, 'If they're made and drink the blood of an Old Soul. The Old Powers are rising and apparently that means Old Souls too. I'd be dead right now if Hannah hadn't changed me back…' Thierry hesitated, '…At the cost of her life'

A shameful tear slid down his face and he could see the shock and sadness in all of the girl's eyes. Rowan looked as though she was going to cry. Her eyes were shining and glistening.

'What are you going to do?' Rowan asked. Her voice was steady, her vampire shielding of emotions was starting to kick in.

'I need Hannah, I need to be a vampire again and I need a Redfern to change me back'

Rowan had lost any words she was going to say. Jade had clenched her hands nervously, green eyes drenched in concern. Kestrel however, spoke for the first time.

'I'll do it', Kestrel said with a shrug, 'Besides, I'm hungry'

Thierry saw the hunger in her face and it more than frightened him. It instilled a fear in him he hadn't felt since Maya had forcibly turned him. But what choice did he have? Kestrel was beautifully ferocious and Night World enough to take the blood he needed to get rid of. And she was a Redfern; there was more chance of survival being turned from a direct descendant of Maya – the blood was just that more potent. He would surrender himself to Kestrel, the second time in thousands of years. But for the first time, he would do it willingly.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Well there is the first part of the sequel. I have one more chapter to write, which I have already started on. I have been playing around with chapter names and have come up with two that I really like.

Please review and I might give this story a happy ending. I haven't really decided on what I will do with it but it will probably be up in the next few weeks or so, I'm just finishing off the last few weeks of high school.

By the way, if you have any questions about the chapter or just plainly want to abuse me, (coz some people are just weird like that) feel free to use the link on my profile

-sheik-


	3. Bled Dry

Finally, this story gets an ending. I contemplated for hours on this one but I think I made the right choice. Apologies for the much lateness of this last part – I'm not really going to go into why the lack of updates. Just the usual stuff really.

----------

Chapter 3 – Bled Dry 

'So', Kestrel said with a glint of malice. 'You'll either be one of us again or you'll die'

'I'm willing to live with that' said Thierry resolutely.

'Or not' Kestrel said with even more malice, which Thierry supposed was her way of showing no fear or emotion for the situation they were in. But Thierry knew better – she was about as nervous as he was because he knew she had never done a change. The closest in her family to do that was James Rasmussen who had in fact achieved it to save his soulmate.

Kestrel and Jade left the room, quick as cats and even more quiet. Jade picked up her black cat from under the pile of clothes she had been unpacking and Rowan left with worry etched into every line of her flawless face.

The moment between Thierry and Kestrel was awkward, awkward being the understatement of the millennium in Thierry's case.

Thierry spoke first.

'Are you sure you want to go through with this? You've never done a change before. It's not easy Kestrel'

Kestrel looked at him with disdain. 'You think I'm going to mess things up my lord? Don't waste your breath, there's things about me you won't ever really know.' She said it in a half serious – half playful way.

Was she baiting him? Did she really have a secret to tell? Or was she just being plain old, ruthless Kestrel. It seemed like she was joking but there was no way Thierry could be one hundred percent sure.

Instead of asking, (he feared it would result in nothing) he said, 'Do you think we should get started?'

Kestrel looked at him in a new way. Gone was the playfulness, she was much more about business now.

'Let's get started'

Thierry sat on the bed after moving the mountain of clothing and Kestrel sat beside him. He could sense that she was hungry but that was all he could sense.

-----------

Kestrel wasn't nervous about feeding or about doing the change. She was afraid that after a few exchanges of blood he would be able to break through her shields and see the past that she had forever kept secret? Why had she agreed to it when Rowan would have done it willingly and had nothing to hide from her vampire liege?

She knew the reason and she couldn't even think about it. Not even when she had fought with Rowan telepathically over who would do it.

Rowan had caught on and asked why she was so interested. She had then severed the link not before telling Rowan to mind her own business. She knew many questions would be asked and she also knew that if she wanted any peace, she would eventually have to answer them. But now was not the time to think about that. Now was the time to make up for the past.

She went for his throat, she could feel her fangs sharpening and indenting her lower lip as her senses begged for the rush of life running through Thierry's veins. Kestrel held onto him tightly while doing so because she could sense the fear and his insecurity in his mind. She couldn't blame him; she would never want to surrender as vampire fodder.

Kestrel shielded her thoughts with ferocity. She could not let him see what was there. She sensed him trying to pry and she put up more walls. He then stopped abruptly but it worried her even more. Thierry was a strong telepath as a human; she wouldn't be able to block anything after more exchanges.

----------

Thierry felt guilty about trying to pry. He couldn't help it – he was curious, but he would respect her wishes and would not interfere – even when he had his powers back.

The pressure on his neck was released and Kestrel was suddenly offering him her bleeding neck. Thierry was nervous. It had been a long time since he's fed on someone like this and the last time he had done it he was out of control.

You're not a vampire yet, my lord 

He forgot Kestrel could read his thoughts even if he tried to shield his mind – he wasn't powerful enough yet.

'Don't worry about it,' Kestrel said, sympathizing his weakness of the mind. 'Here'

Again she offered him her bleeding neck. The blood was starting to matt with her yellow hair. He lowered his head and drank the sweet sticky, powerful elixir that was Kestrel's blood. He drank until he couldn't drink anymore and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

Immediately he could feel the fight within his veins – vampire blood versus human blood. Hopefully the vampire blood would win.

----------

When they both came out of the room, Rowan was more quiet than usual and Jade was nowhere to be seen. He could tell Rowan and Kestrel were having their own telepathic conversation but his powers hadn't kicked in just yet. They would within the next half hour.

The three girls avoided Thierry, which was fine with him. The blood exchange was making him feel sick.

A sleepless night was spent tossing and turning, the blood feud within him growing violent and rough.

----------

It had only been in the early hours of daybreak that Thierry's body had finally calmed itself and regulated. His senses were sharpening but the change was draining. He was just dozing off when he heard a rustling sound in his bedroom. He sleepily opened his eyes to find Kestrel staring at him face to face. Thierry had never been this close to another girl besides Hannah and launched himself out of bed before any time could pass.

'Scare you, did I?' Kestrel said, not unkindly. She still had that smug smirk across her face though, like he had not sensed her fear yesterday.

'How're you feeling?' she asked.

'Fine, though of course the undefined senses are a bit confusing'

'I've heard about that', Kestrel replied. 'Anyway I thought we'd get started early'

'Don't you ever sleep?' Thierry asked drowsily.

'Not really; us vampires don't do much of that – you know that' Kestrel gave him a look between a scowl and curiosity.

'I always did' Thierry said, resigned. 'When your as old as I am, there's not much new these days. Dreaming always creates new possibilities.'

Kestrel thought for a moment and said nothing, as though she had really taken in what he had said. 'Let's get started shall we?'

'You're not even going to let me have breakfast first, like a normal human?' Thierry joked.

'Nope, it's my breakfast time' Kestrel was back to her old humourous self. 'We may as well get started'

Kestrel looked resigned to it and rather upset about a morning feed and Thierry felt he knew why. 'You don't have to worry about me accessing your memories Kestrel; I wouldn't do so without your permission. There's quite a few of mine I don't want anyone seeing either, though you probably know most of the stories. Consequently, I'm curious about what you've got to hide but I'm not going to take it any further – you have my word'

Kestrel looked much happier and relaxed. 'Thank you – I will tell you some day though, when I'm ready; I promise'

In moments Kestrel was at his neck again, this time no hesitation at all. She tapped his veins and drank his oxygen-enriched blood, it must have been intoxicating for her, and she seemed to enjoy it. Thierry kept his thoughts shielded and Kestrel hers. Being a piece of human fodder wasn't so bad when you were aware and let it happen. However, it was nothing compared to the blood exchange of two soulmates. Nothing could stop the blood bond then, not even the strongest vampire telepath.

Kestrel stopped feeding and gave Thierry her cut wrist as a peace offering. He drank in the cherry-sweet stuff until he couldn't drink anymore. Immediately, his senses again sharpened and he was beginning to become aware not only of who was staying in the other rooms but also the thoughts of those staying there if they weren't a particularly strong telepath.

----------

Thierry suffered another restless night of no sleep and discomfort as the blood battle raged on. The following day, Thierry exchanged blood with Kestrel for the final time.

He grew drowsy, trying to stay awake. But it was different this time because he wasn't struggling and drowning in blood like the first time. It was peaceful and he watched as Kestrel watched him with a strange look on her face, only too late, that it had been a look of concern – he hadn't (nor had anyone else except perhaps her sisters) seen her care.

Thierry's body laid dead and still when his eyes suddenly opened with the reflexes of a very old and powerful vampire. He was up in an instant but the thirst he experienced was undeniable. The lack of oxygen he was able to breathe in was starting to give him cramps and his muscles were seizing up. He launched himself to the fridge where he could smell the cool packets of blood waiting for him. Jade and Rowan had arranged them for him.

Thierry's canines sharpened and he tore open the blood packets and feasted.

Ten minutes later, when he came to his senses, Thierry fell to his knees in relief and shed tears of happiness. He had survived the change. He was once again all he feared and hated but it was worth an eternity for just one more moment with Hannah.

His thoughts lingered for a moment on Kestrel and the dark secrets she had to hide. There was something she had not revealed to anyone and he didn't doubt for a moment it had caused precious tears to fall from those mysterious golden eyes.

Hannah was gone for now but Thierry would wait. Whether it would be in a thousand years or fifty, he would wait for her. And he would wait hoping that she was born into a world that looked much less bleak for the dark days ahead.

----------

Hope those who have been reading enjoyed the ending…I was so tempted to write a sad ending. I'm glad I even got to post this...I tried for several days to upload the document and it wasn't working!

Ok, I left some things open for Kestrel. It will be a one shot that explains why she is the way she is. I'll write it soon after my other stories are updated. And if I get any more ideas I might collaborate them together but this seems doubtful at the moment.

Please review and leave some feedback, it would be much appreciated.

-sheik-


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